High-performance ceramic ball hybrid bearings will be more widely used in wind turbines

Many companies that started to develop wind turbines have recently begun to realize the advantages of high-performance ceramic ball hybrid bearings, especially the use of ceramic ball hybrid bearings can increase the speed of the rotor shaft of the wind turbine blade from 30rpm to 2000rpm to generate more electrical energy. Silicon nitride balls are ideal for improving bearing performance. Compared to steel balls, silicon nitride balls are lighter, more rigid, harder, smoother, resistant to corrosion, require less lubrication, and have a lower coefficient of thermal expansion. These properties enable bearings to run faster, operate at higher temperatures, and reduce lubrication maintenance. Silicon nitride balls are extremely wear-resistant. The longer bearing life means that the replacement cycle of the wind power plant is greatly extended, and the replacement cost is greatly reduced (due to the need to use lifting equipment when replacing the bearing, it is generally estimated that the cost of each replacement is RMB 70,000). This saving is especially noticeable in high-speed generator shaft systems.